Interactive content delivery system

ABSTRACT

The present invention is a computer-implemented interactive content delivery system having a central control device operable for processing and verifying information, at least one messaging device operable for communicating with the central control device, a location control unit in communication with the central control device, and a service for obtaining data and information. The service is in communication with the central control device and the location control unit. The present invention further includes a user having a mobile communication device operable for sending a signal to the at least one messaging device. When the messaging device receives the signal from the mobile communication device, the messaging device will verify information of the user and communicate information to the central control device. The location control unit will receive information from the central control device and the service, and the location control unit will deliver information to the user.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/134,368, filed Jul. 9, 2008.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an interactive content delivery system,where a user is able to obtain specific information from the contentdelivery system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Internet based or web-based games are generally known. The internet hasallowed any person with access to a computer and the internet to playall different types of games, some of which can be played against otherpeople anywhere in the world. These types of games include onlineadventure games, word puzzles, number puzzles, and sports-related games.One of the most common and popular form of web-based sports games arecommonly referred to as “fantasy games” or “fantasy sports.” Fantasysports typically include one or more people which allocate, or “draft”athletes onto their respective teams, which are also called “fantasyrosters.” Often, several people will form a league together amongstfriends, family, or coworkers. The athletes typically play for aprofessional sports team. The performances and statistics of theindividual athletes are used to determine the performance of eachperson's fantasy team.

The various fantasy leagues will often have different types of scoringsystems, which are usually established by the people in the league. Thescoring systems can vary from league to league, and from sport to sport.Many different fantasy sport leagues involve two people facing eachother, with the outcome of the contest being decided by which athleteson the respective rosters of the two people performs the best. Theoverall winner for the fantasy season is typically decided by whichperson wins the most contests compared to the other players in theleague.

Many of the sporting events in which the athletes on the various fantasyrosters participate in are broadcast on television. Some of thesesporting events are broadcast on network television. It is also verycommon for people to watch these various sporting events at differentestablishments, such as bars, pubs, restaurants, and the like. Many ofthe people who attend these various establishments also participate infantasy sports. However, without the use of a device with internetaccess, the people who have fantasy teams cannot access their fantasyroster to determine how well the athletes on their fantasy team areperforming, or if they are winning their respective contest. Also, manypeople who have fantasy teams desire to have up-to-the-minute statisticson how well the athletes on their team are performing, which are notalways available in the various establishments where these games arebeing broadcast.

Accordingly, there exists a need for a way for people who have a fantasyteam to access the relevant statistics for their team, as well as viewthe performance of the athletes on their team, and determine if they arewinning their respective fantasy contest.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a computer-implemented interactive contentdelivery system having a central control device operable for processingand verifying information, and at least one messaging device operablefor communicating with the central control device. The present inventionalso includes a location control unit in communication with the centralcontrol device, and a service for obtaining data and information. Theservice is in communication with the central control device and thelocation control unit. The present invention further includes a userhaving a mobile communication device operable for sending a signal tothe at least one messaging device.

When the messaging device receives the signal from the mobilecommunication device, the messaging device will verify information ofthe user and communicate information to the central control device. Thelocation control unit will receive information from the central controldevice and the service, and the location control unit will deliverinformation to the user.

Further areas of applicability of the present invention will becomeapparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It shouldbe understood that the detailed description and specific examples, whileindicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended forpurposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope ofthe invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from thedetailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

The FIGURE is a general schematic of an interactive content deliverysystem, according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merelyexemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention,its application, or uses.

Referring to the FIGURE, a schematic of an interactive content deliverysystem is shown generally at 10. The system 10 includes various servers,processors, and other network devices which are operable for receiving,processing, and transmitting information. The present invention can bepracticed in conjunction with the Internet, World Wide Web, intranets,extranets, electronic media (e.g., CD/DVD-based systems), or the like.The system 10 of the present invention is operable with a user forreceiving a signal, such as a text message or the like, identifying theuser based on the signal received, and transmitting information to thelocation of the user that the user can view on a display monitor, suchas a television, computer monitor, or the like. The information sent tothe location of the user is based on a profile created by the user; theprofile contains information such as information related to a fantasysports team or the like which is entered into the profile by the user.The user will then view the information on a display, such as a computermonitor, television, or the like.

In order to fully appreciate the benefits and features of theinteractive content delivery system 10 of the present invention, it isassumed that an individual practicing the present invention will have:access to a mobile communications device, such as a cellular phone (andis conversant with the basic functions thereof, which has variouscommunications capabilities, such as text messaging, email, or the like.

To fully use the system 10 of the present invention, the user will alsohave access to a computer (and is conversant with the basic functionsthereof); an Internet service provider (“ISP”) (e.g., AOL, JUNO, or thelike) with e-mail capability; a Web browser (e.g., INTERNET EXPLORER,NETSCAPE, or the like); any required plug-ins (e.g., FLASH, SHOCKWAVE,JAVA VIRTUAL MACHINE, or the like); and have the ability to navigatesuccessfully to any given uniform resource locator (“URL”).

The system 10 also includes a user registration and maintenance device12 which is in electronic communication with a user database 14. Theuser registration and maintenance device 12 is a device where a userwill create a profile by logging onto a website using a computer, theprofile will include various personal information about the user (suchas the user's name, email address, gender, address, or the like) as wellas information about any of the user's web-based activities that theuser desires to have as part of the profile. The user's web-basedactivities may include information relating to fantasy sports, financialinformation (such as stock quotes or the like), local, national, andinternational news, or any other type of information the user desires tohave as part of the profile.

In this embodiment, the profile will contain personal informationsubmitted by the user, as well as various types of information relatingto internet-based fantasy sports. Fantasy sports are very common and arecontinuously growing in popularity. There are fantasy sport leagues forfootball, baseball, basketball, hockey, auto racing, and the like.Fantasy sport leagues also have various types of scoring systems, whichcan vary between the different sports, as well as vary within differentleagues of the same sport. There are also internet fantasy leagues forother types of activities that are non-sports related, such astelevision shows, or the like. The profile of the user will not onlyhave the personal information of the user, but will also incorporatescoring systems of the user's fantasy league, as well as otherinformation relating to the user's fantasy team.

It should also be noted that information of multiple user profiles arestored on the user database 14. The user database 14 is in communicationwith a data aggregation and presentation server 16. The data aggregationand presentation server 16 is also in communication with a data service18, as well as a stored data device 20. The data service 18 is a servicethat is provided by companies which provides statistics and otherinformation relating to sports events and other news events. The dataaggregation and presentation server 16 will receive and processinformation from the data service 18 and user database 14 and store theprocessed information in the stored data device 20.

The data aggregation and presentation server 16 is in communication witha type of web service 22, which can be any type of ISP as mentionedabove. The web service 22 is in electronic communication with a centralcontrol server 24 and one or more location control units 26. The centralcontrol server 24 is also in communication with each location controlunit 26, and an SMS messaging server 28. The web service 22 receives theprocessed information from the data aggregation and presentation server16 and will send the processed information regarding the user profileand the user's fantasy sports team to the location control unit 26.

The data aggregation and presentation server 16 is also capable ofaccessing information from the stored data device 20 as well as processinformation from the user database 14 and data service 18 at the sametime.

The location control unit 26 also receives information from the centralcontrol server 24. The central control server 24 is a device providescentral control of various feeds which are to be presented using thelocation control unit 26. The various feeds delivered from the centralcontrol server 24 to either the web service or to the location controlunit 26 include various types of data, advertising schedules,verification of subscription of the user, performing remote maintenanceon the location control unit 26, or the like. If the information is sentto the web service 22 from the central control server 24, it is thensent to the location control unit 26.

The SMS messaging server 28 receives communication in the form of asignal from the mobile communication device possessed by the user. Thesignal in this embodiment is in the form of a text message, although itis within the scope of the invention that other types of signals may beused. The central control server 24 receives the signal from the SMSmessaging server 28, the central control server 24 will then send asignal to the location control unit 26 to modify the output of thelocation control unit 26.

The present invention also includes the user having a specific location,represented at 30 in the FIGURE. The location user 30 and locationcontrol unit 26 both interface with a display 32. The display 32 is inthe form of a computer monitor, television, or the like. In thisembodiment, the display is a liquid crystal display (LCD) television.The display 32 is controlled by the location control unit 26, and willdisplay information based on the information sent to the locationcontrol unit from the web service 22 or the central control server 24.The information on the display 22 is therefore based on the userprofile, the data service 18, and the stored data device 20.

The location control unit 26 also has a location display modificationservice 34. The location display modification service 34 is a servicewhich updates the location control unit 26 to change the informationproduced on the display 32 as the amount or type of location users 30change, as well as information provided by the data service 18 andstored data device 20 changes. The location display modification service34 is controlled by the central control server 24.

In operation, a location user 30 will be in a specific location wherethe location control unit 26 and display 32 are also located. Thislocation could be a restaurant, a bar or pub, or any other establishmentwhere it is desired to obtain information regarding the user's profile,the data service 18 and the stored data device 20. The location user 30will send a signal, which in this embodiment is a text message having aspecific numerical code, to the SMS messaging server 28. The locationuser 30 will send the text message from a mobile communications device,such as a cell phone; because each cell phone has a different phonenumber, the phone number is then used to provide identification of thelocation user 30, allowing the proper information to be accessed.Additionally, the text message containing the proper code will ensurethat the proper location control unit 26 is updated with the profile ofthe location user 30. Because there are several location control units26, which are located at various establishments which are visited byvarious location users 30, each location control unit 26 will have aspecific code, which is used by the location user 30 in the form of atext message to access the information desired by the location user 30.

Once the SMS messaging server 28 receives the text message, the SMSmessaging server 28 will then communicate with the central controlserver 24, indicating to the central control server 24 theidentification of the location user 30, as well as the location of thelocation user 30 such that the central control server 24 willcommunicate with the proper location control unit 26 and web services 22to modify or add information to be displayed by the location controlunit 26 on the display 32. The location control unit 26 will communicatewith the web service 22, which receives information from the dataaggregation and presentation server 16 regarding statistics, scoringsystems, and personal information of the location user 30.

Every location user 30 will have a profile established in the user database 14 as described above, relating to the personal information as wellas the fantasy sports information of the location user 30. Each locationcontrol unit 26 will then publish the information on the display 32. Theinformation relating to statistics, the scoring system of the user'sfantasy sports team, and personal information is all visible on thedisplay 32 at the location of the location user 30. The information ofother location users 30 is published as well. Multiple location users 30at the same location (i.e. bar, restaurant, or the like) are able tosend the same text message from their respective cellular phones and areable to view each of their respective personal and fantasy informationon the display 32. The display 32 will show each location user's 30 name(which is the actual user's first name only, first and last name, anickname of the location user 30, or the like), fantasy team name, therelevant statistics, and fantasy scoring. The display 32 is also able toshow scoring comparisons if two location users 30 are playing againsteach other.

Additionally, the display 32 will also show various types ofadvertising. The types of advertising shown are received from thecentral control server 24. The central control server 24 will dictatehow often the advertisements change, and how often a location user'sinformation will be shown on the display 32. The rate at which theinformation of the location user 30 is shown on the display 32 is alsovaried by how many location users 30 have sent a text message to the SMSmessaging server 28. If there are a large amount of location users 30 atone location, the information of each location user 30 will be shownless frequently.

Additionally, the central control server 24 also has the ability tochange the rate at which the information of each location user 30 aswell as any advertising is shown on the display 32. Different factorssuch as the time of year, a specific sporting event, holiday, or thelike may have an effect on the type of location user 30 at the locationof the location control unit 26 and display 32. The advertising may bechanged to compensate for different interests of each location user 30.For example, it may be desirable to have different advertising for alocation user 30 having a fantasy baseball team, which plays its seasonthrough the spring and summer months, compared to a location user havinga fantasy football team, which plays its season through the fall andwinter months.

The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and,thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention areintended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations arenot to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

1. A computer-implemented interactive content delivery system,comprising: a central control device operable for processing andverifying information; at least one messaging device operable forcommunicating with said central control device; a location control unitin communication with said central control device; a service forobtaining data and information, said service in communication with saidcentral control device and said location control unit; and a user havinga mobile communication device operable for sending a signal to said atleast one messaging device, and when said at least one messaging devicereceives said signal from said mobile communication device, said atleast one messaging device will verify information of said user andcommunicate information to said central control device, and saidlocation control unit will receive information from said central controldevice and said service, and said location control unit will deliverinformation to said user.
 2. The computer-implemented interactivecontent delivery system of claim 1, further comprising: a dataaggregation and presentation server operable for gathering, compiling,and storing data; a data service operable for supplying information andstatistics to said data aggregation and presentation server; a databasefor storing statistics and information desired by said user; and a userdatabase for storing information related to said user, said informationrelated to said user forming a profile, and said data aggregation andpresentation server receives information and statistics from said dataservice, said database, and said user database, and said dataaggregation and presentation server processes requests from said webservice to deliver processed data and information from said data serviceto said location control unit.
 3. The computer-implemented interactivecontent delivery system of claim 2, further comprising a userregistration and maintenance device, wherein said user will register andmaintain said profile through the use of said user registration andmaintenance device.
 4. The computer-implemented interactive contentdelivery system of claim 1, further comprising: a location displaymodification device controlled by said central control device, saidlocation display modification device operable for receiving commandsfrom said central control device; and a display operable with saidlocation control unit for displaying information from said locationcontrol unit, wherein the information displayed by said display ismodified by said location display modification device.
 5. Thecomputer-implemented interactive content delivery system of claim 1,said central control device further comprising a central control server.6. The computer-implemented interactive content delivery system of claim1, said at least one messaging device further comprising an SMSmessaging device.
 7. The computer-implemented interactive contentdelivery system of claim 1, said service further comprising a webservice.
 8. The computer-implemented interactive content delivery systemof claim 7, the data and information requested by said web servicefurther comprising web-based activities of said user.
 9. Thecomputer-implemented interactive content delivery system of claim 7,said web service operable for providing data related to fantasy sports.10. A computer-implemented interactive content delivery systemcomprising: a central control server for controlling the transmission ofinformation; an SMS messaging server operable for communicating withsaid central control server; a user having a profile, said user operablefor communicating with said SMS messaging server using a mobilecommunications device, said mobile communications device operable foridentifying said user; a web service operable for requesting data andinformation, operable and receiving commands from said central controlserver; and a location control unit operable for receiving informationrelating to said profile of said user, and information from said webservice, as well as commands from said central control server, saidcentral control server operable for commanding said location controlunit to output information of said profile of said user, and informationfrom said web service, and when said user communicates with said SMSmessaging server, said SMS messaging server will identify said user andindicate the identification of said user to said central control server,and said central control server will then command said location controlunit to deliver information relating to said user profile andinformation and data from said web service to said user.
 11. Thecomputer-implemented interactive content delivery system of claim 10,further comprising: a data service operable for supplying informationand data; a database for storing statistics and information desired bysaid user; a user database for storing said profile of said user; a dataaggregation and presentation server operable for gathering, compiling,and storing data received from said data service, said database, andsaid user database, and processing requests from said web service todeliver processed data and information from said data service to saiduser.
 12. The computer-implemented interactive content delivery systemof claim 10, further comprising: a display operable with said locationcontrol unit for displaying information from said location control unit;and a location display modification device controlled by said centralcontrol server, said location display modification device operable forreceiving commands from said central control server and modifying theinformation displayed by said display of said location control unit. 13.The computer-implemented interactive content delivery system of claim10, further comprising a user registration and maintenance deviceoperable for allowing said user to register and maintain said profile.14. The computer-implemented interactive content delivery system ofclaim 10, the data and information requested by said web service furthercomprising web-based activities of said user.
 15. Thecomputer-implemented interactive content delivery system of claim 10,said web-based activities further comprising fantasy sports.